


Feeding Wolves

by imperialMachine



Category: Solar Opposites
Genre: Angst, Blood and Torture, Child Abuse, Childhood Sexual Abuse, Childhood Trauma, Dark, Descent into Madness, Dissociation, F/M, Intimacy, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Murder, Past Rape/Non-con, Plot, Romance, Self-Harm, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:28:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28757373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imperialMachine/pseuds/imperialMachine
Summary: Shlorp used to be a thriving colony, until it got flung away from its solar system and doomed to travel the darkness of space with no warmth. The inhabitants of the planet began to split, having the wealthy people live in the underground while the less fortunate, defective people rotted away in the cold of the surface. But the people casted away didn't die like the people of the underground had believed. Now, the surface plan to take the underground with the guidance of their leader, Terry.
Relationships: Korvo/Terry (Solar Opposites), Korvo/Vanbo (Solar Opposites), Terri/Terry (Solar Opposites)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: This story deals with depictions of rape, child abuse and trauma.

The room watched in anticipation. 

The sound of murmurs filled the ears of the condemned as the reapers of death prepared for his sentencing. The head judge of the court of judges had offered the condemned the opportunity for prayer, in this case, his last words. The condemned had declined. Noise came from the witnesses. The judge had demanded order, and the court was silenced. The executors had secured the lever for the gallows during this time. 

He showed no signs of resistance. 

The prosecutor- for lack thereof, his angel of death, had asked the court, “is there any reason the condemned should not be executed?”

The room was silent as their eyes burned through his skin, as if they could be the ones to kill him. They would’ve. 

“Thank you.” The angel of death says, taking a breath. “Number 004, otherwise known as ‘Korvotron’, Third Hangman of the Brutal Court and Member of the Engineer Tech of Armaments. You stand guilty of three trials of treason with the conspiracy of enacting war, inciting hatred towards the affluent and the murder of the Grand Offical, Ycktus. By the direct orders of the Seventh King, you are to be hanged until death.”

The judge had ordered for the condemned to say his final words. 

"Fuck off.” Korvo says.

“Anything else before we inevitably take your life?” The angel asked, 

“Just kill me already.” 

The fellow angels pulled the lever.


	2. Chapter 2

The planet was a rogue. 

Once upon a time, it used to belong somewhere in some solar system. It had a sun, it had neighboring planets that never spoke to them, and it had a view of the stars from only a single direction. What had the small planet done to anger the entire family of the solar system? It doesn’t know, it never gets its answer. The tiny planet called Shlorp was soon booted out and cursed to roam the abyss without any warmth or belonging. The skies on the planet had no light, no warmth, and no orbit. It went in one direction for a while, sometimes changing course when a celestial object with a large enough mass would tempt it. Still it was going nowhere. 

At first, the citizens of Shlorp were terrified. They had to watch as the sun grew dimmer by the years while the days became shorter. The first day where the sun no longer circled the planet was the day of silence. They believed they were doomed because the sun was their source of life, and it’s gone. Quickly, they began to house everyone underground when it began to grow darker. The underground became their utopia, their light, while the surface world remained in ruins. At first, the underground was a place for everyone, until the rich became greedy with it, and for anyone who didn’t have money or couldn’t provide a service, were forced to the surface. It was a graveyard. Occasionally, some surface scum would fall through into the underground and would get killed on the spot and nobody would bat an eye, not because they didn't care, but because they'd be dead before they hit the ground. 

Nobody wanted to challenge the authority in the underground. They had the power, the money and the control. One person ruled as the underground’s king, but not many people liked that term. He was a single ruler and he was the reason everyone is surviving in the first place. His methods are cruel, killing the less fortunate, but he also killed the rich. He was insane. Most of the people living underground were insane, they lacked empathy and they only cared about their own well being, to the point where nobody wanted to make replicants. Because of their selfish tendencies for optimal survival, the ruler forced the citizens to have them by forcibly taking a limb from anyone who opposed. Everybody knew it wasn't to further their race. It was to impose fear. If the replicant was healthy, it would be kept to serve the society of the underground. However, if the doner wasn’t able-bodied, they would be tossed to the surface never to be seen again. If the replicant is also “defective”, it would harbor the same fate as its parent. Death by the surface. 

That wasn’t the only reason to be booted out of the utopia. Disrespect, hostility towards the government, if the person was poor, unhealthy, lazy or useless, they would be kicked. Unfortunately, Terry was booted out from the underground, but not for any of those things.

Terry was a replicant of a shlorpian of the working class. The donor was moderately wealthy, but he was old and wasn't healthy enough to keep working. Terrified that the government would kick him out and replace him, he would send his replicants away the moment they pop out of the dirt, so that he was the only one of his line. The means of travel that he chose for Terry wasn't a morally decent one. 

The surface world soon became Terry's home. There were barely any people up here- at least, anyone who was alive. It was dark with the occasional lamp as a light source and the morning lights in the sky, but those were just the color of the magnetic poles. The buildings on the surface were at least a thousand years old, left in ruins and some moss with some plant vines growing on them. The metals of the broken buildings were a gross reddish color, infected with oxidation as it rusts the iron. Occasionally, a tall building would collapse due to neglect. But there was a prettier side to the surface that Terry came to admire, not that he had any choice in the matter. The small mushrooms grow atop the wet patches in the bases of the deceased. It was a gentle reminder that someone was here after the body was gone.

The young Terry had stolen several robes off of dead Shlorpian bodies to survive, making sure not to damage the fungi. There were no fresh foods around to eat and he mostly ate the moss off of the buildings. If there was a Shlorpian who died of old age on the surface and turned into a tree, he would pick the leaves off the corpse and eat them. Luckily, he didn’t know that the trees were dead old people. He refused to eat the fungi from where the dead lay because they were tombstones to mark where they were. The older aliens would come across the fungi, they'd rip them out of the ground and eat away at them. It sickened him to the point where he'd cry for the dead. He'd spend hours in a secluded building holding a large leaf by the window and waited for the droplets of water to form after it was humid out. It was his only source of water. 

He took refuge in a small cave away from the other savages because some were violent and he didn’t want to take that chance and get killed and eaten. The robes he stole were used as a curtain over the mouth of the cave while the rest of it were his bed and his blanket. Since the place was mostly dark, it would look like the cave was blocked off and no one would enter. 

Terry had found robes with jewels that looked like his when he first arrived. The young shlorpian came to the conclusion that these must've belonged to a group of people that he was supposed to save but didn't make it in time. Terry didn't want to accept the fact that these were obviously his siblings. There were robes smaller than his and even pots that were yeeted across the plane. He couldn't stop his intrusive thoughts that the other backward savages pulled the little seedling out from its pot and ate it. It was cruel, and so was Terry for thinking that happened to his sibling.

During the youngling’s free time, which was all the time, he would draw pictures on the wall about a family and aliens that would whisk him away from this fate. He’d use paste that he made from the leaves as his paint. The active imagination of a child was what saved him during his time growing up.

He made sure to be careful when venturing out of the cave, especially for food or simply just exploring the surface. Terry had often wondered if the planet was too big or if he was too small, because there would always be something new to come across. Like any abandoned place, wild life would soon conquer the plane, Shlorp was no different. Some animals were made of meat and some were plant-like. Both the flora and fauna animals had this pelt on their skin that made surviving in the cold better. It was some kind of evolution that Terry never understood. He was always too afraid to approach either type of animal because of their perfectly lined teeth, ones that would easily cut away at his flesh. Creatures like these made Terry cautious throughout his adventure, but it never stopped him from going. 

By the time he was an adolescent, the robes no longer covered his body nicely. He had to resort to using the bigger robes from the dead people, which weren’t in great shape because it was tattered at the bottoms and partially on the sleeves, but it was enough for him. However, there came another who taught him not to accept things for the way they are, to realize that he deserves more. 

She had stumbled upon his cave, a pink shlorpian. She didn’t have a robe on her. Instead she was covered in fuzzy animal fur and had a bow made of wood she had stolen off of the deceased. She looked primal for a person of an advanced society. Her name was Terri. “Hey that’s my name!” He says to her, and they quickly became friends.

Terri was the same age as Terry, both had been casted away to die on the surface world. Terri was a bit older when she was kicked from the underground. She had prior knowledge of the surface world because of the stories her elders would tell her to scare her. They didn’t know anything. She survived based on sheer rage, promising herself that she'd one day break into the underground and destroy everything, killing the person that wronged her. 

They spent their time together, running around and playing, but during that time, Terri taught him how to hunt and fight. She had an aggression that Terry could never match. Every kill he's done at the request of his friend, was met with guilt shortly after. If he was being honest, he was scared of her, but that was the thrill of it. She drove him to a kind of life that was never boring or careful. She taught him how to think differently, and at times, it felt like he was flying with her. 

She introduced him to eating meat, which he was reluctant to do because he never saw himself as the hunter, always the hunted. Regardless of his feelings, he still ate the meat and it filled him with satisfaction he’s never had and guilt he always lived with. She preached to him about her ideals and what she wanted to do. "Peace for everyone so that everyone could have a chance at living." She would say. At the time, Terry didn’t understand. He thought his life was decent, as long as he wasn’t dead or injured, plus he had Terri to talk to. 

Eventually as time went by, Terry grew to understand the importance of Terri’s teachings. They weren’t just stories anymore or simple lectures. The reality came to him when she told him more about the underground, a memory Terry tried so hard to repress. It came as a shock to him, but he always knew deep down that he was left for dead. It pained him to accept that fact, that he was unloved, uncared for by the people who were supposed to care for him. When they got older, they devised a team together to break into the utopia. The first thing they needed to do was steal supplies, simple food to survive and prepare on the surface. The plan was to not kill anyone unless they were seen. 

On the way to the supply cargo, Terri froze up. She saw the uniforms of the shlorpians who threw her out. They didn’t just throw her out, they abused her on the way there. They shunned her for being unable to provide for the underground. Terry noticed her demeanor changed, her face was stolid, but her eyes were full of wrath. She took the knife out and crept to the unsuspecting guard. Before she could kill him, Terry grabbed her and dragged her away from them. He set her to the wall as she aggressively struggled against him. “What the hell, Terri?” He hissed at her. “Did you forget what we were doing here?”

“I- I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” Her voice was small and she seemed absent while she rubbed her arm. 

Terry peeked his head to the side, taking another look at the guard. She had told him about her abuse on the ship up to the surface. It pissed him off just as much. He turned his gaze back to her. “I get that you’re angry, but we have a mission to do right now. You’ll get your revenge.” He says, assuring her. 

She sucked in a deep breath and exhaled. “I know.” She moved past him to go look for the crate. 

When they retrieved the crate, Terry returned with a ray gun and the body of the guard that Terri wanted to kill, unconscious and hogtied over his shoulder.

“Is that-”

“Yeah.” Terry replies. The guard’s suit could prove useful to them. “It’s for the dogs.” 

They returned to their base on the surface, finally eating real food instead of scraps of nothing. Terry wasn't used to the taste of the fruits. It was too sweet for his liking. When eating moss and dead bodies all your life, any semblance of real food would be strange for a first timer. The first few bites made him emotional, for the fact that he doesn't like real food. He began to think that something might be wrong with him. Had he survived for too long that he evolved backwards, to not recognize good food when he sees it? Regardless, he knew it was better than eating moss, and he chomped away. 

The team rejoiced for the victory of their first mission. They dragged the naked guard to the pit where the wolves lived. They watched as the guard got eaten alive by hounds and laughed at his misery. The agonizing screams didn’t phase Terry, his face lacked any emotion because he knew they deserved this. He watched without blinking. Terri was beside him, laughter escaping from her lips as the death of the guard satisfied her. This was what the underground had made them out to be. They made them into monsters.

The stealing had gone on for a while. They couldn’t do it as often because it would be suspicious to the rich people that their food supply was dwindling. More people joined their cause, mostly because they had food and some joined because they wanted revenge too. Terry and Terri had to train newbies and teach them their ways. The training became tougher as it went on. Terri had realized that the guards in the underground probably didn’t have much training, which motivated her even more. She wanted her team to be able to kill without hesitation, and to do that, she had to mentally prepare them. The people of the underground were people who were undeserving of her mercy. 

While their team grew stronger, Terry and Terri grew closer. He had always liked her. He knew her for who she was underneath her harsh exterior. Only with him was she at her most vulnerable. Because he was blinded by his love for her, he never realized how cruel she had become. He would pass it off as her trauma was the one that made her like this, or she was just having a bad day, _ she’s not a bad person. _

For years he had convinced himself that Terri isn’t bad by heart. The realization of her cruelty happened when he found her training one of the younger aliens and she had broken several of his bones for refusing to kill a small creature.  _ Weak _ , she had called the youngling. The boy had tears in his eyes but he wasn't wailing. Terri had told him that she’d throw him into the pit to join the other weaklings if he cried any louder. Terry didn't stop her. He didn't tell her that she was going too far or tried to comfort the young shlorpian. He just watched. The same feelings of guilt rose back up into his gut, that somewhere deep inside of him he thought Terri was in the right. He thought there was a chance that he'd lost his moral ground, but everyone who lived on the surface lost more than just their morality. They had lost their souls. But still, this was one of the things that keeps him up at night. 

Terry attempted to change her, tried to make her more merciful, tried to take her away and do something romantic rather than watch the pantomime get gory from the hungry dogs. They’d go on dates on top of a mountain and watch the stars. They’d kiss and make love under the night sky as the stars passed and watched in envy of their love. Terry would show her the better side of life to try to take out the seed of revenge planted in her head. He thought that maybe if he fixed her then he would be fixed too. It didn’t work, and Terri didn’t notice his attempts. 

They had kidnapped and killed enough guards to be able to sneak in and steal more things for the surface. They used uniforms they stole from the guards to be able to blend in with the others. Their mission for today was to find out where they were keeping the rest of the weapons they use to terrorize their lower class citizens. Terry saw it as an opportunity to save them from the abuse and their eventual demise, but Terri saw it as an opportunity to fight back. That was their plan from the beginning. 

Terry and Terri had posed as guards to search for the facility. Terry noticed that his partner was walking funny in the white suit. “Are you okay?” He chuckles at how silly the armory looked on her. The suit was slightly bigger than her body. It just looked like a child wearing adult clothing. 

“No, I can’t believe I’m wearing this thing.” Disgust in her voice. 

“Don’t worry, when we find the place we’ll go home and take it off.” He winked at her from under the helmet.

“That’s not all we’re taking off later.” She says with allure, and Terry was sure she winked back at him. 

They walked up to the doors of the secret elevator. This was built by one of the sympathizers from the underground. His replicant was taken from him and tossed onto the surface and he built an elevator to go see him in secret. The poor alien had died on the surface from a building collapsing on him. Terri was the one to discover this elevator when she was figuring out how to get into the utopia without being seen. 

The ride down was quiet. It always made Terry’s stomach sink as his chest bubble with laughter from fear and excitement alone. There was this adrenaline rush that came with sneaking into a place where you don’t belong and guards will obliterate you with a simple trigger of a ray gun. The anticipation of dying made him like living the most. He looked over at his partner. She was quiet too. Often she would look over at the side and close her eyes, a simple prayer on her lips that she never utters. Terry knew that it was her way to cope with her fear of elevators. She hated the creaking, the sound, the occasional lag that causes bumpy stutters on the way down. He never mentions his knowledge about her fears, even though she probably knows that he knows. It was a silent agreement between them. 

The elevator landed with a slight turbulence that shook Terri to her core but soon calmed down when Terry went to open the door and she's met with the ground again. She swiftly leaves the confined space of the elevator and onto the concrete of the underground. They walk the same route they always use when they come here. The tunnel led up to the surface of the underground. They bypassed the traps they set up there and reached the top. The tunnel was underneath an old home that belonged to the old man. It was left untouched because people thought it was haunted. 

They left the house and sneaked around to see if there were guards. There were none. They had arranged to split up and return in 30 minutes. Luckily, the guards had watches on their bodies. Terri had to briefly teach Terry how to read the time on a clock. He's still getting an understanding of the technology. 

Some time after walking, Terry finds a building that says, "House of Armaments." Perfect. Just when he was about to take his leave, the guards called to him, called him by 'Eric'. He turns around and gives them a wave, but not approaching them. They usher for him to come over and he reluctantly takes a step towards them, but is interrupted by the sound of the alarm. 

Terry didn't know what that noise meant but followed what everyone else was doing. He lost 'Eric's' friends in the crowd and followed the trail of people going to the center grounds of the city. There the ruler had shown himself to the people from the balcony of the building. 

"Thank you all for coming here today." The king spoke. He sounded anything but thankful. The crowd of people who weren't guards or had any association with the king, cowered in fear. "I found that our food supply has been diminishing, which means that SOMEONE has been stealing from us."

Uh, no.  _ There's no way he knows it was us, _ he thought. 

"When I find out who's been stealing from me, I will EXECUTE THEM MYSELF!" The ruler yelled into the microphone, screeching the speakers. 

The meeting was adjourned. Everybody went back to doing what they did and scattered. Terry took this opportunity to go back to the house. There he found Terri waiting for him inside. 

"Did you find the place?" She asked. 

"Yeah, we should be more careful next time." He warns her as they open the hatch that leads to the tunnel underneath. They stepped down the ladder. Terry extended his hand for Terri to take. She had made a rule where they couldn't show their affections before and during a mission, and they couldn't do it in front of anyone else. It was a private matter to her, but since they're alone, Terry took his chances. They held hands all the way to the elevator.

"There's no way those idiots would suspect us. For all they know, we're dead." Terri crossed her arms. "You don't think someone from the surface went down here without orders, do you?"

Terry wanted to believe that his team of fighters wouldn't become gluttons after having a real meal. He was unsure but kept his hopes up. "No, I don't think so."

The elevator took them up, bumpy ride and all, and the door opened with a familiar introduction of the surface world. Their boots sinking in the dead soil with every step they take. They finally made it to the campsite base, where they proceeded to take the armor off. Terry would've made moves on her once the armor hits the floor, if not for the one of the neophytes that barged through the tent like an uncouth savage. 

They had spoked of a shortage in food supply. 

"I just went grocery shopping three days ago. How much do you guys eat?" Terri rubbed her temple from this minor problem. "What's the status on the farm?" 

"W- well, you see the crops got eaten too-"

"Seriously?" Her voice was loud. She wanted to yell at the neophyte for the rest of the team's incompetence for holding out for a short time. It's not like they needed to eat every few hours. They can wait. 

"Terri, calm down." Terry grabbed her shoulder. He turned to the newbie. "Could you give us a sec?"

The young alien left the tent. Terry turned back to her. "I  _ am  _ calm." Terri argues, grinding her teeth. 

"Yes, and I’m the king of the underground.” He says, sarcastically, earning a grimace from his partner. “What are we gonna do about the food problem? We can’t steal from them because it’ll be heavily guarded now.”

“Well, we could either steal the guns or steal supplies.” 

“But I just said-”

“You know that’s not gonna stop me.”

He groans. He hated when she was like this. Difficult. “They’ll capture you and then they’ll find out it was us that stole it. You want them to come raiding up here to give us a more humiliating death?”

Being alive up on the surface was already humiliating. The shit they had to do to survive was humiliating, but as long as it kept them alive Terri didn’t care.The underground would just be finishing the job that the surface neglected to do. 

“We can’t risk war when we don’t have enough people for it.” He tells her what she already knows. 

It isn’t much of a war. It is many poor, unfortunate people versus one guy, but that one guy has armed men who are willing to die for nothing. So far, the surface people are safe and that’s all that matters to Terry. As long as they were alive then there’s a reason to keep going. He wasn’t sure if Terri felt the same way. He wasn’t sure if he would follow her to the very end.

She crossed her arms, then leaned on the table behind her. “Then what do you want to do?

“I say we stay hidden for a bit until this all dies down." He says.

"Or," she stopped him. "We just use the guard suits to sneak the food and the guns up here." 

Terry bit his lip from her suggestion. She was right. They could just use the uniforms to steal supplies from plain sight. It would be a lot easier than to wait until the underground stops panicking. He didn't want to take his chances. "We're waiting."

* * *

The time was- who cares about the time. It was when the underground was dead and silent, the light that acted as their pseudo-sun was dim and there were no citizens on site. However, the guards were the ones awake, fully armed and dozing off to the humming of the fake sun. Terri had instructed her trusted team to sneak into the underground during night hours and steal some weapons. Because Terry had suggested they waited, she waited with him. Of course, it didn’t stop her from having someone else do the job.

The team devised three members; two, who were responsible for the act of theft, and the third person acted as a distraction, wearing the uniform to lure the guards away from the building. These were members that Terri had trained personally, practically raised them with her version of love. They were the ones she trusted more than Terry.

The two members climbed the tops of the buildings to reach the ‘House of Armaments’ while the third member followed below. Once they were there, the third had put on a fake voice. 

“Hey, guys.” It was awkward. 

“17024, you aren’t advised to be here.” Said one of the guards. 

“I just wanted to check up on you guys.” He says underneath the mask. 

The other guard got up and came over to him. “Have you been sick?”

The two aliens on top of the building froze. The guards were onto them. One signaled for Two to get ready to jump down and assassinate them.

“No, why?” Said Three. 

“Because you haven’t been to work for like a week now. You didn’t catch a virus, did you?” The guard moved in closer, while Three tenses up at the action. He glanced up at his two teammates from the ledge of the building. “Wait a minute.” The guard says, squinting at the uniform. “Is that blood?” 

One and Two jumped off of the building, landing on top of the guards. Before they could fight back, One held the first guard’s neck until he was unconscious, while Two snapped the neck of the second guard. “Oh, no.” She breathes. The guard’s body lays limb in her arms. 

“Get the stuff.” Said Three to Two. “One, put on the uniform.”

They went to hide the bodies somewhere for the time being and One puts on the uniform. Two snuck in to retrieve the weapons. She grabbed a bag off of a shelf and stuffed it with ray guns and knives. Just when she was about to leave, Three whistles, indicating that someone was approaching.

She began to sweat as she hid behind a box of tools, and noticed her hand was shaking. She actually  _ killed someone.  _ Their missions consisted of kidnapping people and having dogs kill them, but to actually do it yourself? Two clenched her fist to stop herself from thinking too hard about this. She wondered if Terri ever killed anyone. If she did, what did she feel?

One called for her to come out. 

They carried the weapons and the bodies with them to the secret elevator. Once on the surface, they went to the base to find Terri waiting for them in the tent. “You brought friends.” She eyes the two guards on Three and One’s shoulders, not in the slightest did she sound pleased. “You were supposed to retrieve the weapons, not make friends with the guards.” 

“They found us out.” Three tells her. 

She nods, realizing how fucked this might be. “Throw them in the pit.” 

The two aliens carrying the guards left the tent to go to the resting place of the demons, while Two stayed. “Terri.” She started, voice small and shameful. “I- I killed one of the guards.”

Terri turned to her, eyes still hard and it burned through Two. “Did you now?” She moves closer to her and places a hand on her shoulder. Two expected punishment, she expected pain, instead she received, “Congratulations.”

The reaction caught her off guard. She watched as Terri went back to unloading the present of weapons from the bag. Two excused herself.

She sought to find her two siblings by the pit. The screams filled her ears as it echoed from the bottom of hell. The two members watched the breathing guard struggle against the meat dogs that tried to tear him apart. His cries for help left unattended and ignored by the aliens. Two looked down the pit and saw the dead one just laying there, getting eaten.

“It doesn’t feel the same when they’re already dead.” One says, munching on a potato.

“Pupa.” Three warns. “So, Jesse, how does it feel?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Two tells him. 

“How did it feel when you killed him?” 

Two hated Three’s voice. Menacing and mocking her. He had always done this when he knew she was uncomfortable with something, like when they first joined Terri and Terry. It was nice to belong and to eat real food, but there was some level of disrespect that Terri gave them. For starters, Terri had given them numbers instead of names, a number, just a body count for a ‘greater cause’. To her, they were faceless, much like the dead man. Jesse feels for him.

“Yumyulack.” One calls, trying to diffuse the situation.

Two glared at Three. “Fuck you.” She says, marching away. 

She rested atop of the collapsed building, watching the aurora swim in the sky. The crunching sound of the bone repeated in her head like a mantra as she felt the life slip out of the man. There was no blood, but her fingers were stained blue.  _ There are things worse than death, _ a reminder she lived by. Living was torture, but how to live was a gift. She wasn’t given that choice. No one was.

Two had thought going to her savior would bring her comfort from this moral crime. It made her sick. Most of her youth, Jesse had been trained under Terri to be brutal and to be the best. Terri had given her love when no one would. Those beatings, the ridicule, the look she would give when Terri had pushed her to her limit were all forms of love, and yet, she couldn’t handle death. It was preparation and she failed the test. And all Terri could tell her was, congratulations? She should’ve been punished for feeling bad for the guard.


	3. Chapter 3

It started with an argument, not a civilized one, not one that ended in aggressive snogging and it definitely didn’t end with rough makeup sex. 

Terry leaned against the wall, waiting for a response to his questions. “Why? Why are you so stubborn? Why didn’t you listen? Why did you go behind my back and steal weapons when I specifically said not to?” 

It’s a funny thing to Terri, how Terry could be so dense sometimes with his intent. Had he forgotten their goal from the start, their goal to take over the underground and make the rich bastards kneel and take what they deserve? “I was always the better one out of the two of us.” She spun the knife in her hand. A single cut would damage the cell, preventing it from healing.

He knew it well. She knew it too, that out of the two of them, she was the best: the best fighter, the best hunter, the best killer, strategists, marksman, leader. She was everything he wasn't. He lacked her confidence and her stride, the ability to lead was necessary for them. He didn't have that. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“What I say, goes.” 

Her declaration was clear to him, but he hoped for a sliver chance that she wouldn't do this. “You can’t do that. We’re a team.”

"Yes, and who got us the weapons needed for the takedown? We can't wait any longer. I found an opportunity and I took it." Her eyes ceased to falter, taking her steps boldly towards him. “And if you try to stop me…” Her breath brushed lightly onto his skin, eyes so sweet and dangerous as if they were the blade in her delicate hands. “Well, you know what I’ll do.” 

She practically skipped out of the tent, a smile plastered onto her lips. He hated how attracted he was to her, especially when she was threatening to kill him.

And so, Terry sat on the sidelines and watched Terri make an example of a cruel leader. He was still her second in command, but now he had no power to refuse her proposals. He doesn’t stop her or make an attempt at doing so, and in a way, he thinks she knew that about him. Despite that, she was good at what she did, instilling hope and hatred for the people underground. Terri was the best, that’s for sure. She didn’t have mercy. What Terry didn’t understand was her mercy towards him. If she wanted to she would have wiped him out like a stain, easily ran a blade through his stomach and ripped his spleen out, maybe going so far to keep his brain in a jar, like she had done to some of the wild animals she claimed as pets. He wants to believe that she loves him, but he knows she’s not capable of love, not the kind he wants from her. 

Every mission she would plan, Terri had this devious look on her face and it would be directed towards Terry. It was like she was trying to deride him, tempt him to make himself leader again, probably by force. She wanted the challenge from him, but he couldn’t provide that. He loved her too much to fight her willingly. It made her sick. She saw it as a weakness, but he was also her weakness. There was no way she would treat Terry the way she treated her team during their training phase. He won’t love her if she did those things. Having the world look at her in fear was fine as long as Terry didn’t look at her that way. 

And she hated herself for this.

In the course of a month, Terry held out on missions, mostly because he was mad at Terri. Occasionally, he would be there to lend an extra hand, like acting as a guard to distract the other guards or be on watch duty. It was like he was babysitting. It was humiliating. 

During the missions where Terri would join them, she’d do the important stuff while he did the less important stuff. Then she’d give him that look. Her smile all wicked but her voice stayed in a dulcet tone. It would always lure him in. 

On one mission, they both snuck into the official building to plant some bombs but one of the members was going back into the room they were in. Terry pulled Terri into a closet, while the room filled with other members. They were discussing the issue about the food supply decreasing and the missing guards, along with the missing weapons. Terri smiled at their acknowledgement of her work. 

They expected to hide in that room for only a few minutes, but those few minutes turned into two hours. In those two hours, Terry kept peaking out through the holes of the door to check if the people were gone. “Will you relax? They don’t know we’re here.” She tells him.

“Relax?” His heart raced from his anger. “You got us into this mess. And now we’re stuck in here, probably forever. The team is gonna wonder where we are and look for us, and then they’re going to get caught.”

Terri rolled her eyes. “Is it so bad being alone with me?” 

“What?” His voice softens. “You dumped me, remember?”

“I didn’t dump you.” She says casually. “You just don’t have input on missions anymore.”

“How is that fair?”

She gave him that wicked smile again. “It’s not.”

That was it. He was tired of her game and her shit-eating grin. Yes, he loved her but she was so easy to hate sometimes. Terry doesn't know why he likes it so much. Then he finally did it, uttered the word he never thought he'd call her. “Bitch.”

They both mashed kissers together, quickly sucking the air from the other’s lungs and replacing it with a fucked up kind of love. His hand to her throat. Her soft digits pressed to his chest, grabbing a handful of fabric. Terry propped her up to reach her, his knee between her thighs. There was communion on her lips with a mixture of bile that he couldn’t get enough of. He expected her to pull away, as this was a mission and they weren’t supposed to be displaying _affliction_ , as she liked to call it.

She pulled away only for a moment, left him with his head vociferous and bereft. It was strange and familiar all at the same time. They touched lips again. The small space grew increasingly hot as they acclimated with the new temperature. He pulls her shirt off and drops them to the floor, capturing her in kisses. Somewhere along the lines, his shirt comes off too, pulling and urging her body into his like if he didn’t the world would freeze over and die. His hands memorized the curves of her body, places of where her bones are. He moves them down her hip bone and behind to grab her tuches. 

The bubbles of laughter form in his throat when he realizes that he might die if they were caught. He bites the rictus on her lips, claiming her again. There was this itch to tear her to shreds, like how she wants to do it to him, but he keeps kissing and holding onto her. He palmed his fingers against her sex. She lets out a small grunt and closes her eyes, rolling against him. 

They grinded against each other, clothes still on. “We’re so fucked.” Terry whispers into her mouth.

He had her against the wall while he removed her pants. She did the same to him while she shimmied a leg out of her trousers. Terry bit at her neck as she moved her leg up, hooking it around his waist. He slips into her wetness, bringing his lips back to hers to take her breath away. Her small gasps filled his ears as he made love to her in the closet. 

* * *

They shoved their sticky body back into their clothes, then checked to see if the coast was clear. When the last person left the room, they stayed waiting for a moment to process what the fuck just happened. Terri broke her one rule about their relationship in a matter of forty minutes. Her face was still flushed as she tried to calm herself down. This might be the birth of a new kink.

They took the vent out of the room and followed the path to the exit of the building. Sneaking their way around the city, they eventually made it to the rundown house with the elevator. It was left down for them from the others.

The ride up was awkward. Terry looked towards her and saw that she was looking at him back. He turned his gaze away from her. “Are we… cool?” He asks.

“What do you mean by cool?”

“Do I get input now?”

She chuckles. “You already did.” A wink she gave with a kissy face.

“Not that.” A grin threatened to form. 

A sigh escapes her lips. “A leader’s time rises and falls like the sun. One day, Terry, the sun will set on my time here and will rise with you as the new leader.”

The doors to the elevator open as the team greets them. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

* * *

War. The savages must’ve wanted war. Stealing from the righteous king was an act of crime that can only be justified with death! 

The righteous king stares at his reflection, only a monster stares back. He wasn’t angry. Humiliation was the right word for his affliction. They stole from him. He always knew that the surface scum didn’t perish like his personal assistant had assured. It was part of his sick game, knowing that one day someone needed to stop him when he couldn’t stop the monster in the mirror. The righteous king wanted blood, fear, for people to kneel to him. A simple crown wasn’t enough to bestow power. However, the man behind his eyes wanted death to himself, to end his own reign and the rest of the line of kings. 

He knows one thing. It never stops. The righteous king was stronger. 

Many of his men went missing. Of course, this wasn’t a coincidence. It was weakness, idiocy. They hadn’t trained enough for this. They were mere accessories for his power. They didn’t mean anything. The righteous king assembles a secret team that the people don’t know about. Only the closest circle knew of this group of people. They were well-trained, deadly, and most important of all, obedient.

When the righteous king wanted to get his hands dirty, he’d use his pawns to do it for him, whether it was to kill a rebellious civilian or a fellow official of the court. They were his eyes and ears outside of his castle. If they were to defy him… they wouldn’t defy him. 

When he had found out that his weapons had been taken, the righteous king sentenced possible traitors in the city to death. He believed that someone must’ve been helping the surface people break into the underground. The city was secured with guards everywhere and yet they still managed to break through. It frustrated the righteous king that these savages would try to take his power from him by sneaking right under his nose. He would not allow this!

Ever since the first death sentence, the civilians have been uneasy as well. They would point fingers at anyone who seemed suspicious or was too quiet. It was a witch hunt amongst themselves. Hiding didn’t help. Anyone who didn’t leave the comfort of their home would be brought to interrogation. Of course, this was all a farce. Everyone knew that once a person had been taken for interrogation, they’d never see the light of day again. 

While the commotion of the civilians riot against each other and going so far as to bargain with the righteous king, claiming that they should get a reward for their services. Soon enough, everyone was a bounty hunter that would falsely accuse the innocent of treason. They were slowly becoming monsters. However, during this clamour, Terri didn’t stop her team or anyone from the surface to take what they wanted. It was the perfect opportunity to gather up on supplies and let the underground commit suicidal genocide. Terry wasn’t thrilled to hear this.

They sat in their little home of a cave together, while Terri expanded on the map of the underground.

“I don’t get it. Why would they turn on each other all of a sudden?” He asked himself, while sharpening a stone with another stone.

“Because the bastard knows about us.” Bastard as in the king. 

Terry shot up. “What? H-how? For how long?”

“Three was down there spying on them. The bastard said something about ‘surface savages’, and if I had to guess how long they knew this for, I’d say for about three months.” Her voice held her smile. “Lucky for us though, they still don’t know that we did this all on our own. It’s a miracle if they all wiped each other out. Man, I’d love to see the civilians tear the bastard to shreds.” As much as she wanted that to happen, she knows it wouldn’t. The civilians are too scared to even think about committing a stunt like that. There must be something the king was planning besides having only ameteur guards fight for him. The thought settles in, leaving an uncomfortable jab in her gut, that the king might be smarter than her. 

He comes over to her, sliding a hand to her waist to gain her affection. “Terri, listen to me. You can’t keep going in there.”

“You don’t have authority over me.” 

“I’m not trying to have authority over you.” She gently pushes him, but he stops her from moving any further. His hand cups her face, forcing her to look him in the eyes. “I’m telling you as your lifemate.”

Her eyes don’t falter. They were hard, unfeeling, like a soldier. That’s kinda what she is, but he never saw her that way. “Don’t worry.” She says, trying to be sentimental. Comfort wasn’t her best skill, and she knew Terry needed it. “I’ll be fine.”

She hated when he looked at her like that, like she meant the world to him, like he couldn’t live without her. It makes her soft and she hated being soft. She felt him caress her cheek with his thumb, then he leaned in and kissed her. It surged through her veins, the wrath in her blood that drives her. Terri wanted to cut her love to pieces and leave nothing to remember him by. She doesn’t deserve him.

He pulls away, finding her eyes still cold and her heart still frozen. “Just be careful when you go down there.”

“Careful is your middle name, not mine.” She teased.

The warning was left idle. 

During the mission, Terri’s team was instructed to place bombs on the gate leading up to the surface. Two was on guard while Three and One hooked up the bombs in the steel doors. Three had been down here checking out the functions of the door and found that it was connected to a security system. He had told Terri that it’ll trigger the alarm if they blew it up, but she was stubborn. She gave specific instructions on what to do and he followed through with it anyway.

This was going to the extreme, and Yumyulack didn’t know he felt about it. He stopped himself from thinking any further, remembering that hesitance was a weakness. The slashes he got from Terri during his training was coming back again. He could still hear her voice in his head, telling him to strike a piece of wood with his bare hands until his knuckles bled and he was in tears. “Again.” Her voice was strict. When he stopped before his knuckle came in contact with the wood, she’d slash his back. 

“I can’t.” His hand trembled uncontrollably. He expected her to slash him again but she just sprays him down with nutrients. It made him at ease, thinking that she actually cared about him and maybe they could take a break. The wounds she inflicted on him became his new skin, slightly lighter than the usual. Once he stopped bleeding from his back, she slashed at him. 

“There are things worse than death.” It was a reminder that living was pain and the only way to resolve it was with death. She'd be doing him a favor if she killed him, but he couldn't have that luxury, she wouldn't let him. The phrase was meant to anger him, to fuel the rage deep inside, to remind him that the underground should've killed him instead of cursing him with the torment of the surface. Her tone cut deeper than the bloody knife in her hand. “Now, do it again.”

Yumyulack attempted to use his other hand to punch the wood, but she cut that hand. He groans in pain, holding his wound. He wanted to look up at her, but he knows she had no mercy in her eyes. She told him to punch the wood. If this is what it takes to be strong, then so be it. He took his stance, balled his shaky fist and striked the wood. This time, his tears were dry. 

Three blinked back the memory. He didn’t need to be reminded of that. The scars were enough of a reminder that he was weak.

One hooked up the wires in their place and gave Three a thumbs up. They all talked about eating food when they got home. Two was thirsty, while One wanted to feed the dogs. Three just wanted to take a nap and maybe catch up on some literature. He was teaching himself how to read. 

On their way to the run down house, he realized they were being followed. He signaled to his teammates to move separately. The guard was still following him. When Three turned a corner, two other people jumped him and knocked him out with a taser.

Two took her steps carefully and kept her head held high. This is fine, she thought. They were followed before and they all made it out okay. This was nothing new to her and _everything is fine._ She turned another corner again, then another. When she whipped around, no one was behind her.

Making it back to the tunnel under the house, she finds One, but her other sibling is missing. They shared a look, one filled with fret and fear. They couldn’t return without Yumyulack. Terri would never forgive them if they did. 

After hours of searching, they concluded that their sibling was taken. He’ll probably be killed when they find out he’s not from here. Regardless of that, the guards must’ve taken him to be interrogated. One suggested they go back up and tell the rest of the gang that Yumyulack is gone. 

“No.” She told him. “He’s still here. We just need to find him.” 

“But-” 

“He’s still here!” Two yelled, tears welling in her eyes. “I’m gonna look for him.”

One looked up to the gods. We’re gonna die, he thinks. He left the tunnel with her in search of their sibling.

In the span of three days, Three was still missing. Two and One still searched for their sibling. They withheld sleep just in case Yumyulack was still wandering around after his escape. But that was just wishful thinking. 

Suddenly, there was a siren that summoned the citizens to the center of the city. Two and One follow them to blend in with the rest of the people. They looked up to see their sibling hanging naked from a noose, his head hanging as the fresh blue blood dripped from his closed eyes. He had slashed all over his body and he was missing fingers. Jesse gasped, bringing her hands up to her mouth to stop herself from screaming. Pupa began to cry. He blinked the tears as they fell. Grabbing onto Jesse’s hand, he pulled her away from the scene.

She never took her eyes off of Yumyulack, she glances at the king as he stares down at her, smiling. Her eyes widened when she realized he knew they didn't belong there.

The elevator ride was noisy. Jesse’s thoughts spoke over each other, blaming her for his death. Pupa was sniffling next to her. He wasn’t afraid to cry, like she was. Her thoughts played how she was going to tell the rest of the team that they let Yumyulack die. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed. This was all her fault. 

The doors opened as the breeze of the cold kissed her face. The spots where her tears fell were colder than the rest. Her mind wandered to what the world looked like before the surface became barren and hostile. The trees, what did they look like before the sun vanished? The world couldn’t have been selfish before it left the solar system. It should’ve killed them, but by some miracle, they survived. Jesse thought it would’ve been better if no one existed, then maybe this wouldn’t have happened to Yumyulack. 

A memory of him plays in her head to a time when they first met. Jesse found refuge in a tree while Yumyulack lived in a burrow underground. Their home was close to one another, but Jesse never noticed him until one day he threw a rock at her. He thought she was a flight beast, which was rare but they still existed. She had yelled at him, calling him blind for not seeing the difference between a flight beast and a fellow shlorpian. Yumyulack claimed it was dark out.

“How did you get up there?” He asked. The height of the tree was impressive, but it lacked any leaves and the bark was picked off by its inhabitant.

“I climbed.” Jesse answered, picking at the skin of the tree and placing it between her teeth.

Not soon after, she hears Yumyulack make an ‘oof’ sound. She looked down to see him lying on his back and pushing himself up. He was attempting to climb. 

“Hey, hey! This is my territory!”

“No, it’s not. You don’t own it.” He argued back.

Jesse rolled her eyes. “I live here.”

“I live here too.” He says, then points to the hole in the ground. “Right there.”

“Cool, go back into your hole, bug!” She crossed her arms.

Yumyulack grimaces at her as he kicked the tree.

Around the morning, Jesse hugged her home while sleeping. She felt something hit her, which woke her up. Rubbing her eyes, she looked down to see the rude blue alien again holding something. It looked good and she wanted it. “Where did you get that?” She asked, leering down.

“There was this place with mini houses and they were giving them out from these boxes.” He answered, munching on the fruit.

“Could you get me one?”

“Nah.”

Her brows furrowed. “Why not?”

“Because bugs don’t share.” He says. 

Jesse growled. She leaned a bit too far on the thin branch as it snaps off. “Ah!” She fell off the tree landing directly on her butt. “Ow…” She groans. 

“So, idiots can’t land on their feet.”

Yumyulack ended up guiding her to the camp where they saw the adults take orders from a pink shlorpian. They snuck a few vegetables and fruits and went back to their homes. Luckily, this went unnoticed for a few years. Both Jesse and Yumyulack were small enough at the time to avoid getting caught, then one day they met Pupa.

At the time, Pupa was too young to speak. The vocal cords hadn’t developed enough for him to say what he wanted, so he was mute for the time being. He looked odd for a shlorpian youngling, like he was a tiny blob of yellow. He had arms but no legs and he got around by inching like a worm. Jesse thought that might be the reason he was thrown away. Regardless, she still loved him like a sibling. When he got older he grew legs and looked similar to a regular shlorpian but slightly deformed with brighter skin. And he was always hungry. 

As time went by,Yumyulack became more anxious because it was harder to steal from the camp. While Jesse was in the burrow, she and Yumyulack shared with Pupa, Yumyulack inevitably got caught by Terri. She was impressed by him. He stole from her and she ceased to notice, and the fact that that it happened for years, was a bonus. 

Because of Yumyulack’s skill, she wanted him to join her team. Hesitant at first, he consulted his siblings. He went home with more than he could carry as a gift of persuasion. After telling the two the news, Jesse was clearly uncomfortable. She thought it was a trap set up by the adults because of their theft. In the end, they ended up joining and having a real place to sleep and they got to eat whatever they wanted. But it came with a price.

Jesse was standing in front of the tent with her only sibling next to her. Her heart was about to explode along with the rest of her organs. There are things worse than death. Right now, she preferred death.

After Jesse had told Terri and Terry about Yumyulack’s death, his body was tossed onto the surface, still naked, still dead. The guards who threw him chuckled to themselves and left. Jesse couldn’t get the image of his mangled body out of her head, the imprint of the rope, dark and discolored on his neck, his lids slightly open enough for her to see the white out of his pupils along with the dried up blood from his eye. They poked a nail into his brain to stop him from regenerating. It was cruel.

The sky was dark as always. No one had died before today. If the planet hadn’t flung away from its solar system and tradition didn’t die out, they would’ve fed his body to the birds. He would be reborn again as anything else, but rebirth no longer existed. They made a fire and wrapped Yumyulack’s corpse in a robe, covering the entirety of his body. A new era was made the minute the sun disappeared, thus a new tradition was born for the surface people. They laid the dead to rest in the fire, hoping that the flames would warm him up from the bitter coldness of nothing.

Jesse didn’t stay for the speeches made for her sibling. She couldn’t bear to hear them, saying how much of a hero he was or that his sacrifice would not be in vain. She knew the truth. They were not careful. He died in pain, and she couldn’t forgive herself for that. 

She found herself sitting in the burrow underground, her childhood home. Her sobs scratched at her throat as she shook from the grief, his old robe in her hands. The darkness of the dirt wall kept her company while she showed it her face. This was it. There was nothing more to do. She couldn’t possibly go on without him. He was the leader of their little group, the person who could make definite decisions without hesitation. Jesse was nothing like him. He was the one who took the orders from Terri and did them correctly. He was the one who took the beatings when Jesse or Pupa did something wrong, and now _he’s gone._

Fear took over her again. There was no one to protect her now. She was all alone.

The crunch of a branch caused her bones to jump from her skin. She quickly wiped her tears, thinking that Terri might punish her for crying over Yumyulack. A hand touched her shoulder. “It’s okay.” That wasn’t Terri’s voice. 

She turned to see Terry behind her. His eyes soft and empathetic, something Jesse wasn’t used to.

“I won’t tell Terri.” He says.

Jesse spent a good 30 minutes crying into Terry’s chest while he comforted her and told her it was okay. She wanted to believe him, but she couldn’t. Nothing would be okay anymore.

Terry had offered for her to join the others and say goodbye to Yumyulack. She refused. It wasn’t time yet. She wanted him to be alive a bit longer before she bid her farewells. And with that, he left her. 

Back to the camp where Yumyulack was burnt, Terri stares at the black spot. There was no wind as the ash laid in its place. Only a single gem was placed on the pile. She grimaced. 

If things could’ve been different, if she had been more careful like Terry had told her, then maybe he’d still be alive. The death of her team member only fueled the anger boiling inside her. She will not let his death be in vain.

Terry took his place beside her. He couldn’t bear to look at the remains. Despite his lifemate’s demeanor, he knew she was in pain. Reaching to grab her hand, she pulled it away. No amount of affection would comfort her tonight. “It’s okay to cry.” He tells her, knowing that it’ll change nothing.

“Fuck you, Terry.” Her voice was coarse. 

And so, Terri listened to Terry’s warning. She waited. 

* * *

It went unnoticed. There was a hunt for the surface people. Guards no longer wore the masks over their faces and the civilians took matters into their own hands, killing anyone who was a stranger of the underground. There was a clear enemy in sight and they came from above.

It wasn’t long until guards were sent to the surface to kill the inhabitants. The surface people had the advantage though. They knew the land well and used it to kill any assassin or guard, by luring them in with voices or a dark figure. No one had been to the underground ever since Yumyulack died. Terri had instructed them not to be careless anymore because their numbers began to dwindle. However, since the underground was in their territory, they had no choice but to defend themselves. The bodies only piled up, surface and underground alike were dying for this, all because the king was selfish. It wasn’t long until the surface guards began to make their own camp on this land. They wanted war on their home.

Soon the funerals became frequent. The worst part of it all was that the surface couldn’t burn the fallen. The smoke that came from the fire would give out their location. 

The bodies began to pile in the pit, and the dogs got fatter from the many unfortunate guards that laid eyes on Terri. There was only one way to show them that she meant business. Gathering her dogs, she took them away to another place. Even the dogs were scared of her as they obeyed and followed along. The pit was set on fire with the dead guards. Naturally, it attracted the underground’s attention. 

Hell. They called the pit hell. The smell of burning flesh polluted the air in the vicinity. That was no longer home.

* * *

The next month had been slow and Terry rested on the mountain that he and Terri would go to on their dates. The planet was passing a solar system billions of miles away and he could see it from here. The light was small, crowded by the darkness of space, possibly alone. He felt alone too. All these years he felt alone. Closing his eyes, he felt the movement of the meteor and heard the sounds of the dead crying out to him for help, the help he could not give. He opened his eyes, grimaced at his feelings of insignificance.

The silent steps of his partner doesn’t alert him. He knew it was her. She was good at tiptoeing, as if she was never there, as if she was a ghost. Terri doesn’t sit. She stood beside him, relaxation was a waste of time. He expected an apology while he prepared an ‘I told you so.’

“I’m leaving.” She tells him. 

It doesn’t matter how many times he convinces himself he doesn’t care, he always does. She knows this. “Don’t see why you’re telling me this. I’m not even involved in anything important.”

Her silence was louder than the crackling noises of the distance wild flora and the singing of the planet's orbit. “I might not be coming back.” There was no remorse in her voice, no hint of regret or sadness, or anything that indicated that she was hesitant. “We’re planning on bombing the gate to the surface and the official building, so when that happens they won’t be able to stop us.”

“Wait- wait, stop.” Terry scrambled to a sitting position. “This is too much, and what do you mean you’re not coming back?” His heart slowly sinks into his chest. This had to be some kind of mistake and he heard her wrong, or misunderstood her.

She kneel in front of him. The old Terri shows herself to him as if she never left in the first place and found comfort in vengeance. It’s been a long time since she looked at him that way, tender and soft her gaze was, almost the kind of love he longed from her. There was nothing she could say to explain everything he already knows. The information laid out naked and bare, she was going to die and her eyes said it all. 

Terry had known her well. She never spoke of her fears. He had to claw away at her walls and discover them for himself. From their many fights, Terri would give him shit for hiding away when they first met, saying he should’ve done something better than be pathetic enough to lurk in caves. She was just the same, hiding her emotions away or better yet, pretending they weren’t there. He’d never known Terri for her fears, only her aspirations, which was what made her strong in his eyes. Now that he thinks about it, she was probably afraid, afraid to kill, afraid to die, but she knew what must be done to ensure that she wins, even if that meant she wasn’t alive to celebrate her victory.

Her hand was cold to his skin. “They need you now.” She caressed his face.“I know you can do it.” She had told him that before, while she was teaching him how to hunt when he had a hard time catching prey. It was her way of saying, ‘I love you.’

She stands up and turns to walk away. “Terri, don’t do this.” He got up after her, his fingers brushed against her arm as he reached for her. 

Terri pointed a ray gun in between his eyes as he froze in his place. Her eyes were glassy with tears.“The revolution starts now. They need to feel our pain.” She says, backing away from him.

“There has to be another way.”

She says nothing. 

He edged towards her. The hand held the gun firmly in her grasp, unmoving, still, like a statue. He moved her hand down. The device of instant death pressed against his chest as he tried to find any answer, anything that’ll stop her. 

Terri doesn’t look at him. “I’ll kill you.” She reminds him.

“Look at me.” He demanded. She obliged, her bottom lip quivers and she bites it to stop herself.

She knew he was going to stop her, and that was why she was here, her last attempt at stopping herself, maybe find peace in whatever god existed, maybe find peace with Terry. That was nothing but a fantasy, a dream that she allowed herself to live for only a few moments. The tears ceased to fall and she couldn't stop herself from shaking. She wasn't as perfect as she thought she was. No, this can't be how it ends. Terri needed to be strong for herself, for Terry, for her team, for the fallen. 

As much as she loved Terry, she hated her life. What better way than to end her reign by taking down the fuckers that messed with her. No, this wasn't ending anything. It was going to start a new era. Whatever happens nobody is going to stop her, not Terry, not even herself. 

"You can't leave me." His voice snapped her back, his hand firm on her wrist, the one that's holding the gun. 

Terri averted her eyes again. "And what are you going to do, stop me?" 

All his life he wanted to run, but he couldn't run away from her, knowing that she'd die if he left her. He gripped her wrist tighter and swiftly disarmed her, snatching the gun in his hand. He pointed it at her but she doesn't flinch. "Knowing you, I doubt I have any other option." 

"That's really hot." She chuckles, then bolted towards him, kicking the gun out of his hand and catching it. She pointed it back at him, shooting an inch away from his head. "Looks like you're getting a bit rusty-" 

Terry doesn't let her finish and smacked her hand away as she shot at a tree. Her back smacked against a bolder and he pinned her arms up. "This is serious. Your little game isn't going to work this-"

She cuts him off with a sweet kiss. Her games did work. It always worked on him. He gave into her, holding his wrists tightly against the rock and feeling the slightest tremors on her lips. She can't slip from him if he never let's go. Terri pulled away, her eyes were soft again. He couldn't help himself, he didn't want to lose her warmth. He captured her lips again, knowing that this will be the last time he'll ever kiss her again. 

He let himself be consumed by her, allowing her poison to put him to sleep. Terry knew her well enough to use that trick on him, a kiss that'll knock him out in only a matter of minutes. The drug was made from herbs found from the underground. It was used to drug people and send them to the surface where they would inevitably meet their fates. Terri used it to put Terry to sleep so she could plan missions behind his back, the ones where he would threaten to break their lifemateship if she left him. She always did and he never left her. The strength of his grip loosens as he falls to his knees. "Didn't… think you'd… do this to me… again." He breathed as the slumber loomed over him.

Her tears were back and this time they fell. She catches him in her arms, holding him close to her. "You know me, I never listen." 

"I'll… stop… you."

"You already tried." There was laughter in her voice but she sounded so sad to him. "You have to accept this, hon. I'm gonna die."

"No." His eyelids grew heavier. "I'll save…you." 

Her tears dripped from her eyes as she gave him a final kiss goodbye. She placed his body to lean against the bolder. "Thanks, Terry." 

"Don't… go." He reached for her blurry figure before it all went dark. 


	4. Chapter 4

_Dear Terry, My Beloved._

_I am undeserving of your love._

_I haven't been completely honest with you. Now that I think about it, I don't think I'll ever come out with the truth while I'm on death row. I never told you the reason why I wanted to do this, why I'm so angry all the time. I never told you why I took my anger out on you and my team. Telling you the truth, for once in my life, I… liked it. I liked my power over you and everyone else. I liked being listened to, like I mattered to you, yet I'm so disgusted with myself. I never thought I'd become the people I was trying to kill._

_I never told you this because I thought you think differently of me, but… when you asked me why I was tossed out, I lied. At the time I had told you, I didn't know and that I was like you, except I wanted revenge. I do know why. My donor, my father, brother, whatever he was. He was the closest thing I ever had to family, hell, he was family. He cared for me, loved me. I know you wouldn't understand, but down there, donors don't exactly refer to you as "family." You pop into the world and they just fuck off. Anyway, he was part of the official court and he had a decent amount of power for change. Only it wasn't enough. My father didn't agree with the king, lo and behold, neither did I. It didn't take long before word got out that he was conspiring against the king. They said my father was planning to kill him, he didn't plan anything! He just wanted to talk, but they didn't see it that way. They should've taken me out of that room before they……_

_They made the mistake of leaving me on the surface._

_I was supposed to be next in line for the official court in the court of judges. I was supposed to be a judge, study their fucked up laws and behold power over the people. I'd still be killing nonetheless. Nothing would've changed. I always had blood on my hands even before I was born. The only difference now is that this trail of blood will end with me and guide you._

_All of this fighting has led me up to here. Your job is to take back the underground._ _Mine is to take the life of the person who took it all away, the second in command._

_After all this, I hope you'll come to understand the purpose of your existence. We are… different, and that's good. You were always better than me, Terry, I'll never admit that to you. You're stronger than me, you're fearless and compassionate, something I always lacked. You're the true hero of this story._

_I only wish for a better goodbye. The sun is setting, my love. And it will rise again._

_-Yours, forever and always, Terri._

The letter she wrote never saw the light of day. It never left her head. 

* * *

She took her steps boldly. Terri had never told Jesse or Pupa what she was doing today. She had told them that it was a day off and they should enjoy their leisure before the reckoning happens. Her choice in words weren't as kind as she wanted them to be. Terri didn't want them to suspect her leaving. 

The official court was scheduled to be empty for the day for the festival that was happening. They were celebrating the soldiers who gave up their lives to kill the surface people. It disgusted Terri. The civilians even wore costumes to look like the surface people. It was tacky and didn't look at all like the clothes Terri wore. Regardless, she still blended in. It angered her that these rich bastards were mocking tradition and belittling the lives of the surface. 

She had the detonator in hand, ready to press the button when the time was right. This will be over in a matter of minutes and everyone will hear her symphony.

Terri's heart thumped in her chest as she rose up the stairs to the court. The place was so familiar yet so different. The carpets were red instead of a pale green and the walls were still creamy white like she had remembered all those years ago. The crack in the wall just behind the decorative table that held the vases of fake flowers were gone. Terri felt like an intruder. This was supposed to be home to her, at least, once upon a time it was. She even remembered her father's office room, now occupied as a supply closet. The second in command was supposed to be scheduled to come here for a meeting with one of the officials. Terri had set that meeting herself when she wrote on his calendar in his office. 

This was it. She was going to face her father's killer and kill him too. It was almost exciting, but still she was scared. There were a multitude of contingencies that could occur while this happens. Terri counted all of them. Should she fail, the building will come down with her. If she succeeds, the building comes down with her. 

Things could've been different. Terri could've been happy living with Terry and raising Pupa, Jesse and Yumyulack together as their own, instead of making them into soldiers, instead of making them into numbers. She had thought about it too, if she was different from the person she is now. Terri could've walked away, forgot everything that happened, but nobody ever forgets the face of their father's killer and she definitely never forgave him. The only way he could be forgiven by her would be when he breathed his last breath and begged for forgiveness. In the end that wouldn't be enough. Terri doesn't think she'll get to that part, his begging would be silenced by the press of a trigger. 

She thought about her father for the first time in forever, his smile and his voice, telling her it'll be alright whenever she was scared. She remembered when he would hold her hand so she wouldn't get lost in the street. They'd go to a nearby tavern while he talked to some questionable people there. The elders there were the ones that told her stories of the surface and the monsters that lurked there. Of course, there were no monsters, besides her and the rest of the surface people. 

The thought of her dogs came to mind, trying to remember if she fed them or not before leaving. She'll miss them, their deadly bites and incentive howling into the night. She left a note for Jesse to care for them while she's gone. 

Terri stares at the door in front of her. Just on the other side was the monster. She didn't knock or politely swung the door open. This is no time for a sweet introduction. She kicked it down, spotting the man immediately and aimed her gun at him. He instinctively puts his hands up as the fear was stricken to his face. 

"A surface rat." He was disgusted. "Should've known better than to fall for that stupid trap." 

"Aw," She coos. "Don't tell me you've already forgotten my face?" Terri bats her eyes, her hand stiffly aimed at his head and she moved towards him. 

"All you surface scum look the same to me." He spats. 

She shot his leg, blasting it right off like a saw blade. The alien screamed in pain as he fell backwards, holding the spot where his leg should be. He scrambles to take the gun from his pocket and Terri shoots his arm, blowing it off. "That's not how you treat a guest. Now, tell me who I am." She stared down at him. 

"A fucking terrorist!" He yelled, voice breaking as he cried. "You'll pay for this! I'll make you pay!" 

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, stop your crying." She went over and stepped on his bloody stump of a leg. He groans, struggling to reach for the gun she blasted away. Terri noticed his attempt and shot the ray gun, destroying it to pieces. "Why don't you guess again?"

He took a better look at her face and found it familiar. Her face resembled the traitor from way back when. His eyes widened. "Terri?" 

"Bingo!" She cheered. "Now, you know why I'm here, right?" She went over and leaned against the desk. 

"D- don't kill me, I'll do anything!" 

"C'mon, you can beg better than that." Her voice was low and emotionless. 

"The king ordered for- for the execution of Typhis. I s- swear, I had nothing to do with it!" 

She eyed him up and down, not buying a single thing he claims. She knows the 'personal assistant' was too much of a loyal dog to the king to go against him. A sensible person would know that he was the monster behind all this. "Mhmm. Do convince me why I shouldn't bust a cap in your crown. I'm giving you a second chance." 

"I'll a- arrange for the king to give you your p- position back."

She shot at his stomach, making a hole in through it. He falls over and holds the place where his abdomen used to be. "The correct assessment would be 'kill me.' I would've been nicer, but I much rather watch you suffer than to end your miserable life so soon. There are worse things than death, and I won't give you the satisfaction of a peaceful one." 

The second in command took small gasps while he bled all over the carpet. He coughed up the blood and stared at the ceiling. "Fuck… you…. bitch." 

Terri pulled out some nutrient spray from her pouch and soaked him. "You know, one of your executioners killed one of my children. First you took my father," She shot at his chest. "Then you take my kid." She shot at him again. "You should've killed me in the office. Remember that place, when you killed him before my very eyes? Nod, if yes."

The tears of the man slips from his eyes as he choked on his sobs and nodded to her question. 

"Don't cry. It'll all be over soon." She pulled out the detonator and pressed the button. Not soon after, the loud explosion could be heard from here. The tremors of the ground shook violently. The sound of people screaming filled the air, and Terri didn't have to look outside to know everyone was running for their lives.

She watched as the life drained from his body. Terri shook her head. She was wrong after all, she didn't kill him before he begged for his life. And it felt good to be wrong about that. She was no fool. Terri knew this would give her zero satisfaction or peace. There was only one thing left to do now, and it was in the palm of her hand. Just when she was about to press the death button, guards showed up and shot her hand off. She lets out a cry of pain as they tackled her down. They injected a drug that quickly put her to sleep.

* * *

Terry slowly opened his eyes. The sky was still asleep and he's surprised that no animal has eaten him yet. The sleep was a dreamless one and it felt good to rest without any nightmares. He blinked the sleep away and stared at the stars. He doesn't remember the constellations in that arrangement. Pulling himself up, he tried to remember the last thing he did. The boulder reminded him of Terri. He gasped. "Terri!" He ran to the camp to find it with people scrambling, screaming about the gate being blown up.

She's gone. The last conversation he had with her comes to mind, remembering that she wasn't coming back. He bumps into Jesse while on the way to the elevator. "Ow, watch where you're going!" 

"Jesse, do you know where Terri went? Did she say that she was going anywhere specific?" He asked. 

"No, why?"

"She's going to get herself killed." He moved past her to the elevator. 

"What? What do you mean-" Jesse followed him. "Wait!" 

Terry had explained everything to Jesse. To her knowledge, she didn't know Terri would go this far. It scared her, and Terry too. When the elevators opened, they ran out to find a crowd of people gathering at the center of the city. Jesse already knew what this was for, an execution. The king was there while he had two masked men hold Terri. She was in shackles as she struggled against them. They strapped her to a wooden pole, tying her hands back. She kicked at them and they punched her to stop her from struggling.

"Here we have our pest!" The righteous king spoke. "Terri, a ghost from the past here to take what is ours. We casted her onto the surface and now she's here for revenge, but we will not give her that chance!" He turned to her, his grin malicious and cocky. "Terri, former member of the court of judges has finally returned to us. Her donor's mission to assassinate me failed, and she came to finish the job." 

The crowd gasps, some only scowled at him. Knowing what'll happen next, Jesse tried to pull Terry away from the center, but he was stiff as a board. 

"You have been guilty of terrorism, treason, and attempted assassination of the king." The righteous king spoke. 

"I didn't attempt to assassinate you, fucker!" Her voice screeched, pain in her throat as she yelled. She was met with a fist to her face, breaking one of her teeth. She spits it out and grimaces. 

"No one speaks to the king that way!" The executor growled. 

"I'll fucking kill you!" She hisses at them, then was met with another punch to the face. Her plan had failed.

"Terri, you are sentenced to death by burning." The righteous king announced, a smirk on his face. "Hell awaits you."

There was no turning back now. She was dead the minute she was born. Now, she didn't anticipate getting caught and then publicly executed. She wanted to end her own life on her own terms, but this was second best. Plus, Terry was here to witness her. Maybe he could learn something from this. No matter what she faces, she'll take it head on. Death should cower before her. "Then let me burn."

Terry's heart sinks to his stomach as he moves towards Terri. Jesse pulled on his arm, while he struggled against her. Terri's eyes were on him, they were still strong even in the hands of death. He watched as they lit a match and threw it into the pile of wood under her feet. Within moments, she was on fire, consumed by the flames as her screams filled the city like a curse, and a curse was what she gave as her final goodbye. It was too late to do anything to stop this, Terry let himself get pulled by Jesse, knowing that he wouldn't be able to walk away himself.

Her face was etched into his mind, along with her final goodbye to him. She wasn't really gone, not to him. Terry stared at the empty space in the elevator while Jesse talked to herself, repeating, "What do I do?" He wanted to comfort her and tell her that everything was going to be okay, but the words never leave the comfort of his mind. 

He thought about the message Terri had told him, "A leader's time rises and falls like the sun." Terry didn't think much of it, but he should've. He didn't think she'd go on this suicide mission. More importantly, he didn't think she'd be caught.

All of his fears bunched together the moment he saw her body burn. As much as he was scared of her sometimes, he was more afraid of her dying. Terry was nothing without her. She pulled him out of the pit of nothingness and made him into somebody. She did that for the rest of the surface people. For a long time, Terry thought that she was immortal, that no one could kill her because of her will and her anger. For the first time, Terry never thought he'd feel her pain and her rage.

Once the elevator doors opened, he raced back to the camp. He remembered she talked about a contingency plan if she couldn't successfully destroy the building. Terry rummaged through her things in the tent and found the small red detonator button. He stared at the button in his hand, If he presses it, it'll blow up the official building, possibly creating a hole on the surface to the underground. They'll be forced to witness the darkness of the surface. 

_Aged her rage like wine, driving her to madness and taking the rest with her._

The thumb hovered over the red button. For the first time, he raged into the night. The simple click sent tremors onto the surface as he felt his blood boil. "She won't die in vain." 

The sun was starting to rise _._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemme know if I should continue or not. the bad stuff is yet to happen


End file.
